Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel by Becca Blake (english novels to improve english .txt) 📕

“I would expect nothing less of them,” Orion said.

Marcus nodded. “The three of you will have to remain in town while the investigation is ongoing. Your access to information about current events will be revoked, though you’re still welcome to use public facilities.”

“Sir,” Orion began, but Marcus cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“You can leave your formal mission report with Councilwoman Lawrence.” He nodded at the door curtly.

“Yes, sir.” Orion’s boots thudded against the hardwood floors as he stormed out.

Jacob stayed where he was, frozen in place as he stared at his father. I touched his arm to remind him it was time to go, but he shrugged me off.

“Move along, Jacob,” Marcus said. “Unless you’d like to elaborate on Commander Orion’s version of events? Was there anything else that happened while you were in Omaha?”

I sucked in a breath. If Jacob said anything now, Orion and I would be dead.

He straightened up and gave his father an icy stare. “No, sir.”

I followed him out of Marcus’s office. Orion waited outside the door for us, his shoulders tense as he paced across the hallway.

“What now?” I asked once we started down the stairs, out of earshot.

“I guess we go home and wait.”

“Orion?” Celia Lawrence peered out from a door on the second floor as we passed by. “I’d like to speak with you about your mission report.

“It’s not a good time, Celia. I’ll write it up and have it back to you by tomorrow,” he said.

“I insist.” She opened her door wider and waved for us to join her.

“Alright.” He sighed. “You should both head home, though.”

“No,” Celia said. “It would be best to do this while I have you all here, and everything is still fresh in your minds.”

The scent of flowery perfume greeted us as we walked inside her office, which was much cozier than Marcus’s had been. A white couch faced her tidy desk, and she gestured for us to sit.

I moved aside a fluffy blue pillow and sat next to Jacob, while Orion stood behind us.

After closing the door, Celia strode across the room and turned up the volume on a small radio. Classical music filled the room as she sat on the edge of her desk and faced us. When she spoke in a harsh whisper, I could barely hear her over the stringed instruments.

“Orion, they’re saying—”

“I know damn well what they’re saying,” he said.

“We had a Council meeting early this morning,” she said. “I’m not sure what really happened in Omaha, but you’re a good man, and you have my support.”

“We just got back,” I said. “How did the Council already have a meeting about the mission in Omaha?”

Orion shot me a sideways glance. “Because the Council wasn’t waiting for my mission report. They didn’t need it.”

“So, they set you up?” Jacob asked.

“I tried to speak up, but nothing I said seemed to matter,” Celia said.

“Yeah, I’ve gotten the message that Marcus has already made up his mind. What’s his game?” Orion plucked a small piece of candy from her jar and popped it in his mouth.

“I’m not sure, exactly. I haven’t been able to figure that part out.”

“So, they already knew Maki would turn on Orion?” I asked.

“I don’t know for sure,” Celia said. “I wasn’t part of the mission planning for this.”

“Who was?” Orion asked, his brow furrowed.

“As far as I’m aware, only Marcus.”

“He wanted me to fail.”

“I would have warned you if I knew.” Celia poured Irish cream into her coffee mug and took a long sip. “But I do know this: you need to leave town and disappear. It’s not safe here.”

“Why?” I asked. “What will they do to Orion?”

“And to us?” Jacob added.

Celia set the mug down and folded her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her thumbs. “If you stay here, they’ll make an example of you. All three of you.”

Chapter Eighteen

After our conversation with Celia, Orion drove us back to my house. He stopped the truck out front, but instead of stepping out, he left the engine running.

“You’re not coming inside?” I asked.

“I’ve got a few things to take care of at home. If anything happens—”

“I’ll call and let you know,” I said. “How long do you think we have?”

“Hard to say. Their investigation could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. In the meantime, they’ll be watching us very closely.”

Jacob shifted in the seat beside me. “Everything Celia was saying back there… How worried should we be?”

“She said they’re going to make an example of us,” I said.

“So, they’ll suspend us? Force Orion to resign?” he asked.

“For most infractions, sure. But this involved a demon lord. The Council won’t allow any room for error here.” Orion’s mouth tightened in a grim line. “This could get ugly.”

“We’ll be careful,” I said.

As Orion drove away and I walked up to my front door, it struck me that the place I’d called home all my life would soon be empty. My parents were both dead now, and I planned to leave Haygrove soon. With the last living Collins gone, the house that had been in my family for generations would be abandoned.

All the memories I had here, all the old family heirlooms, the ever-present smell of coffee that clung to the air… I would leave it all behind.

I blinked back the tears that warmed my eyes and pushed open the door. As I bent down to unlace my boots, Jacob kicked his off. They hit the wall with a heavy thud that tore me away from my thoughts, forcing me back to the present.

I just wanted to grieve in peace. He was an unwelcome trespasser who didn’t belong here in these final days.

And I wanted him gone.

“You don’t have to stay with me anymore if you don’t want to,” I said, hoping he would take the hint. “Our commander is on suspension, and so are we. There’s no reason to keep following that order